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The US Air Force is operating the oldest fleet it has ever fielded in its 60-year history. With an average age of a quarter of a century, Air Force airplanes are costing more to maintain than ever before and these systems are increasingly less combat effective as evolving technologies around the globe are meeting and surpassing their capabilities. The structural challenges we have seen in the F-15A-D fleet dramatically illustrate that we can only push these aging airframes so far before they simply fail. The Air Force Association takes this situation with extreme seriousness and continually advocates for Air Force modernization and recapitalization on Capitol Hill, within the policy community and the media.
To help put this aging airframe issue in perspective, we recently matched the various dates when aircraft from the Air Force fleet officially entered service (Initial Operating Capability) with the events that were occurring during those same respective years. On a first glance this comparison is amusing. However, upon a second look it is clear that we face a very serious situation and must do everything possible to address this critical issue. As one Air Force senior leader recently remarked, “It was kind of funny...in a nostalgic way...to fly the same jet as 2-star that I flew as a butter bar. I'm finding it difficult to see the humor in my one-bar son flying it.”
1955—B-52 Stratofortress
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 Volkswagen produces its millionth Beetle, the first small car to gain popularity among US drivers. By 1963, Americans were waiting up to five months to purchase one.
- Churchill resigns as Prime Minister of England; Anthony Eden succeeds him.
- Federal Republic of West Germany becomes a sovereign state.
- The Soviet Union and seven East European countries sign the Warsaw Pact, a mutualdefense treaty.
- Rosa Parks refuses to sit at the back of the bus, breaking Montgomery, Alabama segregated seating law.
- Martin Luther King, Jr., leads 381-day black boycott of Montgomery bus system; desegregated service begins Dec. 21, 1956.
- On the Waterfront nearly sweeps the 1954 Academy Awards.
- Gunsmoke debuts on CBS, and will go on to be television's longest-running western.
- 70mm film is introduced with Oklahoma!
- James Dean dies in a car accident at age 26.
1956—U-2 Dragon Lady
 Studebaker made the transition from wagon maker to auto maker. Still popular in 1956, the last Studebaker was produced just ten years later.- Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of USSR Communist Party, denounces Stalin's excesses.
- Morocco gains independence from France and Spain.
- Egypt takes control of Suez Canal. Israel launches attack on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula and drives toward Suez Canal. British and French invade Egypt at Port Said. Cease-fire forced by US pressure stops British, French, and Israeli advance.
- U.S. tests the first aerial hydrogen bomb over Namu islet, Bikini Atoll with the force of 10 million tons TNT.
 With many hit singles (including "Heartbreak Hotel"), Elvis Presley emerges as one of the world's first rock stars. The gyrating rocker enjoys fame on the stages of the Milton Berle, SteveAllen and Ed Sullivan shows, as well as in the first of his many movies, Love Me Tender.
1957—KC-135 Stratotanker
 The black-and-white police car, like this one in 1957, became common in the 1950s and lasted for decades. More departments are now returning to the retro look.- Russia launches Sputnik I, first earth-orbiting satellite—the Space Age begins.
- The USSR tests its first successful ICBM.
- Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story debuts on Broadway.
- Eugene O'Neill's A Long Day's Journey Into Night is produced posthumously and wins both the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize.
- Columbia University professor Charles Van Doren becomes a media sensation by
 winning $129,000 on the quiz show Twenty One.
- Leave It to Beaver premieres on CBS, ushering in an era of television shows that depict the ideal American.
- Temporary artificial heart is invented by Willem Kolff.
- First round-the-world nonstop jet plane flight. Maj. Gen. Archie J. Old, Jr. (USAF) led a flight of three Boeing B-52 bombers around the world in 45 hours, 19 minutes.
1958—C-130 Hercules
 This 1958 Buick Limited weighed in at more than 4,600 pounds.- Gen. Charles de Gaulle becomes French premier, remaining in power until 1969.
- Eisenhower orders US Marines into Lebanon at request of President Chamoun, who fears overthrow.
- The US Supreme Court rules unanimously that Little Rock, Ark., schools must integrate.
- Jupiter-C rocket fires first US satellite, Explorer I, into orbit.
- Billboard debuts its Hot 100 chart. Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool" boasts the first No. 1 record.
- Elvis Presley is inducted into the U.S. Army.
- First transatlantic jet passenger service started by BOAC, with a New York to London route.
- The existence of the Van Allen Belt, a radiation belt surrounding the Earth, is confirmed by the Explorer I satellite.
- NASA initiates Project Mercury, aimed at putting a man in space within two years.
1970—C-5 Galaxy
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 1970 saw the introduction of the Gremlin.
- Egyptian President Nasser dies and is replaced by Anwar el-Sadat.
- Tonga and Fiji gain independence from Britain.
- Four students at Kent State University in Ohio slain by National Guardsmen at demonstration protesting incursion into Cambodia.
- Senate repeals Gulf of Tonkin resolution.
- The Beatles break up.
- Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin both die drug-related deaths at age 27.
- Monday Night Football debuts on ABC.
- M*A*S*H and Patton are huge hits in the movie theaters.
- IBM introduces the floppy disk.
1973—RC-135 Rivet Joint
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 The tiny 1973 Honda Civic debuts with the slogan: “It will get you where you’re going.”
- A ceasefire is signed, ending involvement of American ground troops in the Vietnam War.
- Chile's Marxist president, Salvadore Allende, is overthrown and Gen. Augusto Pinochet takes power.
- Fourth and largest Arab-Israeli conflict begins when Egyptian and Syrian forces attack Israel.
- Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries hikes oil prices tremendously in retaliation for Western countries' involvement in Yom Kippur War.
 President Nixon, on national TV, accepts responsibility, but not blame, for Watergate.- Spiro T. Agnew resigns as Vice President and then pleads no contest to charges of evasion of income taxes while Governor of Maryland.
- US Supreme Court rules on Roe v. Wade.
- American Graffiti, The Exorcist, The Sting dominate at the box office.
- Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) is designed and in 1983 it becomes the standard for communicating between computers over the Internet.
- Skylab, the first American space station, is launched.
1975—F-15 Eagle
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 The Ford Maverick, long discontinued, was built from 1970-1977 and outsold the Mustang at the time.
- Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge take over Cambodia.
- The city of Saigon is surrendered and remaining Americans are evacuated, ending the Vietnam War.
- Apollo and Soyuz spacecraft take off for US-Soviet link-up in space.
- John N. Mitchell, H. R. Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman found guilty of Watergate cover-up.
- President Ford escapes two assassination attempts.
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest sweeps the top Oscars, winning Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Actress.
- Home videotape systems (VCRs) are developed in Japan by Sony (Betamax) and Matsushita (VHS).
- The Altair home computer kit allows consumers to build and program their own personal computers.
1977—E-3 Sentry
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 In 1977, GM responded to gas costs by downsizing its line – slightly. This Cadillac Sedan De Ville was reduced to 18.5 feet and over 4,200 pounds.
- Nuclear-proliferation pact, curbing spread of nuclear weapons, is signed by 15 countries, including US and USSR.
- Scientists identify previously unknown bacterium as cause of mysterious "legionnaire's disease".
- President Carter pardons Vietnam War draft evaders.
- The TV miniseries Roots draws an audience of 130 million.
- Star Wars hits theaters--for the first time.
 Saturday Night Fever sparks the disco inferno and the popularity of movie soundtracks.- Elvis Presley dies at Graceland, his Memphis, Tenn. home. He was 42.
1979—F-16 Fighting Falcon
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 The square Ford Fairmont, like this green one from ’79, debuted as a bestseller in the 1970s.
- Shah leaves Iran after year of turmoil; revolutionary forces under Muslim leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seize control.
- Conservatives win British election; Margaret Thatcher becomes new prime minister.
- Carter and Brezhnev sign SALT II agreement.
- Nicaraguan President General Anastasio Somoza Debayle resigns and flees to Miami;
 Sandinistas form government.
- Iranian militants seize US embassy in Teheran and hold hostages.
- Soviet invasion of Afghanistan stirs world protests.
- Nuclear power plant accident at Three Mile Island, Pa., releases radiation.
- The Sugar Hill Gang releases the first commercial rap hit, "Rapper's Delight," bringing rap off the New York streets and into the popular music scene.
1982—KC-10 Extender
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 In 1982, the Honda Civic became the first Japanese-branded car manufactured in the U.S.
- British overcome Argentina in Falkland’s war.
- Princess Grace, 52, dies of injuries when car plunges off mountain road.
- Leonid I. Brezhnev, Soviet leader, dies at 75. Yuri V. Andropov, 68, chosen as successor.
 John W. Hinckley, Jr. found not guilty because of insanity in shooting of President Reagan.- Alexander M. Haig, Jr., resigns as Secretary of State.
- Equal Rights Amendment fails ratification.
- Michael Jackson releases Thriller, which sells more than 25 million copies, becoming the biggest-selling album in history.
- John Belushi dies of a drug overdose at age 33.
- Cats opens on Broadway.
 E.T. – the Extra-Terrestrial, Tootsie, and The Verdict are popular with movie audiences.- A permanent artificial heart is implanted in a human for first time.
- The space shuttle Columbia makes its first mission, deploying two communications satellites.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) diagnostic machines are introduced in Britain.
1983—F-117 Nighthawk
 1983 saw the distinctive Ford Thunderbird line take another tack with the Aerobird.- South Korean Boeing 747 jetliner bound for Seoul apparently strays into Soviet airspace and is shot down by a Soviet SU-15 fighter.
- Terrorist explosion kills 237 US Marines in Beirut.
- US invades Grenada.
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 More than 125 million viewers tune in to the last episode of M*A*S*H.
- Second space shuttle, Challenger, makes successful maiden voyage, which includes the first US space walk in nine years.
- Sally K. Ride, 32, first US woman astronaut in space as a crew member aboard space shuttle Challenger.
- The FCC authorizes Motorola to begin testing cellular phone service in Chicago.
1986—B-1B Lancer
 The 1986 Ford Taurus debuted as Motor Trend’s Car of the Year and the line went on to be the topseller of the early 90s.- President Reagan freezes Libyan assets in US. US planes attack Libyan “terrorist centers.”
- President Ferdinand Marcos flees Philippines after ruling for 20 years; newly elected Corazon Aquino succeeds him.
- Major nuclear accident at Soviet Union's Chernobyl power station alarms world.
 Space shuttle Challenger explodes after launch at Cape Canaveral, Fla., killing all seven aboard.- US Supreme Court reaffirms abortion rights.
- Senate Judiciary Committee approves William H. Rehnquist as Chief Justice of US Supreme Court.
- Secret initiative to send arms to Iran revealed; Reagan denies exchanging arms for hostages and halts arms sales; diversion of funds from arms sales to Nicaraguan Contras revealed.
- Barry Diller, head of News Corp., creates Fox, the fourth television network.
- The Oprah Winfrey Show hits national television.
 The Academic American Encyclopedia is available on CD-ROM. It is the first reference work published in this medium.- Nintendo video games introduced in U.S.
1989—F-15E Strike Eagle
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 1989 saw the introduction of the Lexus line, shown here advertising its smooth engine performance.
- Tens of thousands of Chinese students take over Beijing's Tiananmen Square in rally for democracy.
- Mikhail S. Gorbachev named Soviet President.
- Romanian uprising overthrows Communist government; President Ceausescu and wife executed.
- US troops invade Panama, seeking capture of General Manuel Noriega
- George Herbert Walker Bush inaugurated as 41st US President.
- Ruptured tanker Exxon Valdez sends 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound.
 US jury convicts Oliver North in Iran-Contra affair.- A San Francisco Bay area earthquake measuring 7.1 in magnitude killed 67 and injured over 3,000. Over 100,000 buildings damaged or destroyed.
- First World Wide Web server and browser developed.
1995—C-17 Globemaster III
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 As the popularity of SUVs soared, Ford introduced a retooled Explorer in 1995.
- Russian space station Mir greets first Americans. US shuttle docks with station.
- Criminal trial of O. J. Simpson opens in California.
 Scores killed as terrorist's car bomb blows up block-long Oklahoma City federal building.- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum opens in Cleveland. Renowned architect I. M. Pei designed the ultra-modern, 150,000 square-foot building.
- Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia dies.
1997—E-8 Joint Stars and B-2 Spirit
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 In 1997, Toyota introduced the Prius hybrid in Japan, like this original on display, although it would be a few years more before it saw U.S. markets.
- Hong Kong returns to Chinese rule.
- Khmer Rouge hold trial of longtime leader Pol Pot.
- Titanic crashes into theaters. It is the most expensive film of all time, costing between $250 and $300 million to produce and market.
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 J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is published in the U.K. It comes to U.S. in 1998 as Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.
- A team led by Drs. Ian Wilmut and Keith Campbell (UK) create the first sheep with a human gene in every cell of its body. The genetically engineered lamb is named Dolly.
2003—MQ-1 Predator
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 The 2003 Hummer H2 was put on the market.
- In State of the Union address, President Bush announces that he is ready to attack Iraq even without a UN mandate.
- Ariel Sharon elected Israeli prime minister.
- U.S. Secretary of State Powell presents Iraq war rationale to UN, citing its WMD as imminent threat to world security.
- Baghdad falls to U.S. troops. The U.S. declares official end to combat operations in Iraq.
- Terrorists strike in Saudi Arabia, killing 34 at Western compound; Al-Qaeda suspected.
 In its second season, American Idol proved to be as popular as low-carb diets.- California governor Gray Davis ousted in recall vote; actor Arnold Schwarzenegger elected in his place.
- Space shuttle Columbia disintegrates, killing all 7 astronauts.
- Norah Jones dominated the Grammy Awards, picking up five trophies, including those for Best Record ("Don’t Know Why"), Best Album (Come Away With Me), and Best New Artist.
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King led the way in Oscar nominations.
2005—F-22 Raptor
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 The Chrysler 300C takes a variety of car of the year awards.
- Worldwide aid pours in to help the eleven Asian countries devastated by the Dec. 26, 2004, tsunami.
- Mahmoud Abbas wins presidency of the Palestinian Authority in a landslide. This is the first presidential election for Palestinians since 1996.
- Former Teheran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hard-line conservative, wins Iran's presidential election with 62% of the vote. He defiantly pursues Iran's nuclear ambitions over the course of his first year in office.
 London hit by Islamic terrorist bombings, killing 52 and wounding about 700. It is Britain's worst attack since World War II.- About 11 million Iraqis (70% of the country's registered voters) turn out to select their first permanent Parliament since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.
- More than 350 million digital songs were purchased in 2005. It marks an increase of 150% from 2004, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
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